Chocolate Banana Coconut Milk Ice Cream

(sugar-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free)

2-3 frozen bananas

1 c full fat coconut milk (chilled)

2-3 T cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional: 1/2 c almond milk

1) Pour can of chilled coconut milk in blender, along with bananas and blend. Taste test! I recommend starting with 2 bananas and then increasing to 3 if you'd like your ice cream to be sweeter.  Add vanilla extract and cocoa powder to blender and blend.  Taste test again for desired level of chocolate-ness.  

2) Pour blended mix into your ice cream maker and turn it on.  Churn the ice cream until it thickens considerably and is roughly the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Depending on your machine, this could take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes — keep an eye on it! If you want to add any extras, add them now and churn a few more seconds until they are fully incorporated.  This recipe can be make without an ice cream maker but the consistency turns out much better with one.  I recently received a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker and have to say that it was well worth the investment.

3) Once your ice cream has reached the soft-serve consistency, you can eat it as is or transfer it to the freezer and allow it harden for at least a couple of hours.  Coconut milk ice cream can get a bit hard in the freezer so I recommend letting it sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before trying to scoop it out to eat.